Google goes global with Chromebooks in six new markets

Google is taking its Chromebook on the road, announcing this evening an expansion in distribution beyond the U.S. and U.K. that will see the device land in six new markets.

Chromebooks from Acer, Hewlett-Packard, and Samsung will begin rolling out Tuesday in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands, with devices specially geared toward schools and business environments, the Web giant said in a company blog post.

"Many of you around the world have told us you're eager to get your hands on a Chromebook, so we've been working with our partners to make this possible," the company said. "Today we're happy to say we're one step closer to making Chromebooks truly 'for everyone' -- or rather, pour tout le monde, fur alle, and voor iedereen."

Google also said it plans to expand Chromebook sales in the coming weeks to more than 1,000 Best Buy stores in the U.S., doubling the number of retail locations where the device is currently sold.

The expansion comes amid mixed reviews for Google's latest laptop -- the Chromebook Pixel. Some critics have called the Pixel "too much machine for the software," while other have noted its high price and cloud limitations as consumer obstacles.

It also comes less than a week after Google announced that Sundar Pichai, the man who shepherded the Chrome browser and operating system from concept to their current, would become the new head of Android. Pichai assumed the responsibilities of Andy Rubin, who is stepping down as head of Android to "start a new chapter at Google."